Shocking ThoughtZ

[RichZ]

I hope I get most of what I had in this before the PC crashed last night back into it tonight.

1. How could we shoot 41% from the free throw line when our 3 starting guards as a unit are shooting over 81% from the line for the year? Well, until CV got fouled and went 2 for 2 with around 4 minutes left in the game, the three of them got to the line zero times. Zero as in none, which is less than any, and way less than some. Our gameplan and Wichita's defensive deficiencies combined to keep them from being fouled. Most of our drives in the half court ended in kickouts rather than going hard to the rim. No fouls. Wichita didn't seem to try to guard the 3 point shooters that received the kickouts. No fouls. Worked out for the best because those open three were falling and we got a lot of runouts off defensive boards and turnovers, but we need to force the action a bit more going forward, and get our good FT shooters to the line, instead of the guys who went 5 for 15 last night!
2. 47 to 32 advantage on the boards. This is good. Thank you JA, JC, and yes, even EC!
3. Our designated spot up 3 point guys -- Tyler and Christian mostly - went 8 for 12 between them. This is also good.
4. I've always seen potential in Christian Vital. Not sure I've seen 21 point, 5 board, 5 dime level potential though. Fueled by shooting 64% from the field and 100% from the line the last two games, CV is having a career year shooting 9 percentage points higher overall and from 3 than previously, along with career high averages in rebounds, assists and steals while playing 3 fewer minutes than last year. And he's definitely averaging career lows in bad decisions.
5. Speaking of CV, my favorite sequence of the game only lasted 4 seconds and culminated in a CV layup. It started as a sort of fast break by Wichita State with about 16:40 left. What kind of a break ends up 4 on 5? Kid hits bottom of the backboard on his shot, Cobb grabs the rebound and immediately passes to Jalen who one dribbles and leads CV with a perfect outlet and boom, another deuce for the good guys. I applauded that energetically, even sitting alone in my office.
6. Alterique... heart in throat moment for us. I'm thinking (hoping?) that 5 days between games is a fortuitous coincidence here, and we see him play, albeit limited minutes, on Thursday.
7. Yeah, I knew I'd forget some stuff. I had an 11 count report last night when Windows violated itself. And tonight, I'm falling asleep trying to remember them.